Teaching Words and Concepts to Young Children with Down syndrome – Part One

Is your child at the one-word stage? Well then this is for you! Once your child has reached the one-word stage, your emphasis should be on teaching vocabulary and concepts both receptively and expressively. Here are some helps tips to keep in mind when working with your child on words and concepts: Remember that language is more than spoken words. When you are teaching a word or concept, you need to focus on the meaning and on conveying that meaning to the child through play or through multisensory experiences with the word, rather than focusing on pronunciation. Provide many models. Children with Down syndrome need many repetitions and experiences to learn a word. For example, when you are teaching the concept “in,” provide as many experiences are you can with the concept, and label the action each time.  Use real objects and real situations. When you are teaching a concept, use daily activities and real situations as much as possible to teach the concept. If you are teaching “drink,” do it at snack time. Teach, don’t test. When you are teaching a concept, you want to provide models. You don’t want to ask questions and demand answers. Reinforce the concepts with toy objects during play. Once your child knows a sign or word, reinforce the learning during play. If your child knows “up” and “down,” use a toy garage and have the cars go up and down on the elevators, while you and your child say “up” and “down.”

Here we have Nathan and his mom at Language Music N’ Our Peeps (LMNOP) learning new words and reinforcing them through sign. Great job, Mom and Nathan!